The Lemon Index
Photos: James from Cheltenham, Gloucestershire (Wikimedia Commons)
140accidents
21%were fatal
89deaths
10%aircraft destroyed
What happened. NTSB's defining event, share of accidents.
Loss of control in flight18%
Hard landing9%
VFR encounter with IMC6%
Loss of engine power (total)5%
Collision during takeoff/land5%
Autorotation Hard landing5%
Pilot or plane? How often NTSB listed an aircraft problem among the causes.
24%the plane was part of the cause
engine, systems, structure or propeller
engine, systems, structure or propeller
76%people or weather only
pilot decisions, control, fuel planning
pilot decisions, control, fuel planning
Out of 113 accidents where NTSB recorded a cause. When the plane was a cause, it was most often the engine fuel and control.
When. Phase of flight.
Maneuvering23%
Landing21%
Enroute18%
Approach11%
Takeoff10%
Accidents per year.
200811
200917
201010
201110
20128
20139
201415
20159
20167
20176
20186
20197
20203
20215
20225
20235
20244
20253
More planes flying means more accidents, so counts aren't a safety score by themselves. Compare the shares above.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, U.S. accidents 2008–2025. ntsb.gov · Every plane
Updated